Severe thunderstorms unleash damaging tornadoes from Iowa to Indiana on Memorial Day
Some spectacular wind, rain, and hail hits Oswego, Illinois hard on May 27.
A relentless week-long severe weather pattern continued to unleash destructive tornadoes across parts of the Midwest on Monday. Large trees and power lines were reported down and numerous structures damaged on Memorial Day in the central United States.
Many midwestern residents may have hoped to celebrate Memorial Day with outdoor festivities, which are more typically associated with the holiday. Instead, many residents were warned to take shelter as tornado watches and warnings spread across the region.
As of Tuesday evening, there were over 65 tornado reports listed on the National Weather Service's Storm Prediction Center website, many of which were from the central states like Iowa, Illinois, Minnesota and Indiana. Tornadoes were also reported in northeastern Colorado and western Nebraska.
On Monday night, the tornadoes shifted into Ohio, where a large and destructive tornado swept through Dayton.
Tornado watches and warnings were issued across the region throughout Monday. Many local residents were told to take shelter.
AccuWeather News Reporter Blake Naftel captured the organization of a meso/wall cloud in Illinois at 4:05 p.m, local time. (Twitter photo/ Blake Naftel)
A tornado was first observed in Floyd County, Iowa, about 1-4 miles north of Charles City around 12:30 p.m, local time, Monday. NWS reports damage to several homes, as well as extensive damage to the Floyd County Fairgrounds and to a fertilizer plant.
The tornado was later rated as a "high end" EF1 with maximum sustained winds around 110 mph.
Social media users captured the large and damaging tornado moving across Floyd County on video.
Others posted the extensive damage of the tornado on social media.
Also in Iowa, a tornado was reported to have blown through Lime Springs in Howard County shortly before 2 p.m, local time. Power lines were knocked down as a result. Crews later conducted house-to-house searches.
Damaging tornado reports also came in from Greenleafton, Minnesota, located in the southeastern portion of the state. The Harmony Fire Department reported damage to several structures, including a barn. EF0 tornado damage was confirmed in the area.
Later on Monday, several tornadoes were reported to have touched down in Indiana.
A number of downed trees and power lines were reported in Pendleton, Indiana, after an EF2 tornado touched down on Monday night. Marcus Bailey, a local meteorologist, shared damage photos, taken by Joey Hutslar, which captures the damage the tornado had on local homes.
At least 75 homes were damaged in Pendleton as the tornado-warned thunderstorm tracked over the town, according to the Associated Press.
Damaging hail, strong winds and heavy rain also moved into the region with the storms.
In Naperville, Illinois, one resident took a video of golfball-sized hail battering his porch.
The storms forced a suspension in play in the Major League Baseball (MLB) game between the Chicago White Sox and the Kansas City Royals at Guaranteed Rate Field, located in the south side of Chicago. The game was halted in the fifth inning and then finished on Tuesday.
The storms later swept into Ohio on Monday night, triggering a number of tornado warnings in western portions of the state. A tornado emergency was issued for Montgomery County, which included Dayton, Ohio, as a large and destructive tornado was confirmed.
Storm-weary residents of the Central states will face yet another round of severe weather and the threat for tornadoes on Tuesday.
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